Commuter rail advocates find they have ally in governor

Derry

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July 3, 2008

By Ashley Chamberlain

DERRY — At 60 years old, East Derry resident Paula Walach remembers when the last freight train ran through Derry in the 1980s, and when East and West Broadway were defined solely by the railroad tracks.

She remembers so well because to get to work now, she drives to Andover, Mass., catches the commuter train to Boston, then rides her bike from the train station to her job through the sun, rain, and even the snow. According to Walach, getting to work would be a lot easier for many local residents if the rail systems still existed, not to mention that it would be much better for the environment, which is why she is working to bring the commuter rail systems back to New Hampshire.

Walach has been an industrial electrician for more than 30 years and has studied rail systems in detail. As she continues to take classes to become an electrical engineer, she is looking at ways to improve the rail. She also belongs to the New Hampshire Railroad Revitalization Association, and her opinion about the rails she said, is based from a technical perspective.

"Rail systems can operate on electric power which would be derived from green sources of energy, such as wind and water power. A rail system in Derry would mean less pollution, less traffic, and less of a negative impact on the environment," Walach said. "These electric trains would last many years longer than a diesel bus, or even a diesel train itself. Electric motors can be run harder than a gasoline driven motor. The fuel savings would be tremendous."

According to Walach, electric trains run very quietly because they don't have locomotives. She thinks the trains would also be a hedge against importing oil from the Middle East, and that establishing an electric rail system could eliminate long distance trucking. Then, shipping freight would not be affected by rising oil prices.

Colin Manning, the press secretary for Gov. John Lynch, said that because of road congestion and finances, the governor has worked to improve the transportation system, which not only includes widening highway roads such as I-93, but also other alternatives such as signing bills to bring the commuter rail back to New Hampshire. Overall, the goal is to make transportation in New Hampshire better and safer for both the citizens and the environment.

The governor last year passed legislation to create the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority, which is responsible for managing the growth of the New Hampshire commuter rail system. In June, according to Manning, Lynch signed a bill that many authorities feel was needed to move the rail process forward. The legislation — HB 1404 — now mandates that the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority encompass liability insurance for a passenger rail service. The limit on liability caps the state's $75 million liability, and is similar to the law passed in Massachusetts in 1994.

"Re-establishing rail in New Hampshire is critical to our future economic growth as a state," Lynch said. "It will help protect the environment and improve the overall quality of life in our state. That is why it is important we work together and take the necessary steps to bring commuter rail back to New Hampshire.

"I am pleased sign this important piece of legislation into law so we can continue the progress we have already made in returning rail to New Hampshire."

In places like Portland, Ore., the property values have been increasing, unlike in many other areas where values have decreased because of gasoline expense and foreclosures, according to Walach. She believes the increase in value is because Portland brought back their electric light rail system. Besides in the United States, the rail systems can be more frequently found all over the world, in places like Europe and Asia.

"It's a matter of civilized travel. On board a train you have opportunities to relax, you have electrical outlets to plug in a computer, it is much smoother ride than a bus, and it is in coherence with the way people travel in Europe and Asia," Walach said. "America has fallen too much in love with (cars). Peak oil is going to happen within ten years, and if you think four dollars of oil a gallon is expensive, you haven't seen anything yet, wait until five years from now."